Saturday, August 1, 2015

all images pinned to "summer"
It's here, the last weekend of summer. July flew by like a hot, sweaty little thing. We spent the week picking up school supplies and preparing our hearts. We made first day of school roller balls and have started talking about our new routines. My mama heart has been aching lately with worry over all sorts of things, but we are called to focus on the present and that's what I am trying so hard to do.
We have house warmings and birthday parties this weekend and lots of prep work to get done. i'm going to tryyy to be better about meal prepping and getting lunches under control on sundays. Saw this post which I am going to investigate and these boxes are still in excellent shape from last year and my favorite way to pack lunches.

Sam and I are still watching Friends (see my post here!) and haven't made it all the way through (I'll be sad when we do!) but we took a break the other night to watch a movie recommended by my friend Emily. She raved about Chef and I am here to rave some more. So heart warming and such a story of redemption. This is an all-star cast too (not sure how I missed this?). You will fall in love with Jon Favreau. Watch it this weekend!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

I have been a life long fan of the company Patagonia - their vision for sustainability and making quality gear are just my jam. My Dad has jackets that he still wears that are just as cool 30 years later. Not many companies can speak to that. They also did this ad which is totally rad:
So I was very interested in the documentary 180 South that was inspired by founder Yvon Chouinard and his best friend Doug Tompkins (founder of the North Face) and their trip from Ventura, California to Patagonia, Chile in the 60's. The home videos are so awesome and so are their stories that inspired the film. This 2010 documentary was directed by Chris Malloy and covers the journey of Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic trip. Johnson decided to make climbing the Corcovado Volcano in Patagonia his life goal after speaking to the pioneers and then planned his own adventure. Perfect summer flick.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Oh, the fourth. This is one of my very favorite holidays and of course it is about freedom and independence and those themes ring true for the holiday as well. Something about the zero pressure, warm weather, glorious summer food, makes it one of my most looked forward to days of the year. We normally host a party because we can see the fireworks from our house (love!) but this year our yard is in a state of shock and disarray and we were lucky enough to get our family lake house this year (we share it with two other families so holidays are alternated). Honestly the timing was perfect. Today a friend has Matilda so I am dreaming up a little menu. Some things healthy, some things healthy for the soul. ;)
This mexican corn dip is a take on the street food and looks like the perfect pre-dinner snack.
For small gatherings I love a signature cocktail. How yum do these Boozy Watermelon Coconut Refreshers look?! Also, my St Germain Rosemary Lemonade, obvs.
This flavor combination could sustain me for all time. Love avocado, cilantro, fresh tomatoes, red onion. Ah, this Mexi-cali Chopped Salad is perfection.
I'm sorry but there needs to be hot dogs. Love these creative topping ideas!
Last but duh not least, my friend Kristin posted about her banana pudding on instagram and I was like... zomg must have. I want to make this for dessert. It's fun and a little unexpected for my crowd. They will love it!

Hope you have such a fun time celebrating this great place we call home. xo

Monday, June 22, 2015

Summer is slipping away it seems. With early mornings and long days it is hard to believe! I have been working so hard on several passion projects. I created a new website for my oils community (so many exciting new things happening with the Golden Drop Society!), have been trying to tackle a big project in the back yard (plan b!) and most importantly I am getting to play my starring role of mama. It has been so nice having Matilda home and I know Phoebe treasures this time too. I took extra time with them last night with a proper bath and pampering, breathing in their little post-soapy skin while I brushed their hair. Heart breakingly sweet moments that I am trying to bottle up in my jar for the hard moments that come along with growing pains and two-year old tantrums. :)my new bag from my friend jennifer

Currently reading:

+ For the girls: The Bear's Great Sea Escape (we found this darling book at my favorite, seed factory)
+ Home Making: re-reading this favorite because I feel like I need a constant reminder of what is really important. This book analyzes the qualities that each family member should possess to create an amazing Christian home life. So beautifully written it brings tears to my eyes.
+ The Best Yes - oh man, I am a people pleaser by nature and constantly feel guilty. This is such a breath of fresh air!

What is on your summer reading list? I am a self-help and spiritual inspiration lover haha and rarely read fiction. It's a little sad and I should read for fun more. So, hit me! I'm also on a podcast kick so if you have any great recommendations I would love those too.

Friday, May 15, 2015

School is officially out a week from tomorrow so Matilda and I made a summer bucket list while we were cooking dinner one night. Oh the smell of fresh cut grass, chlorine and honeysuckle... bring it!
Last summer I got stressed out because I didn't plan. This year I have camps set up (do your homework - so many fun options and a lot of them very affordable!), scheduled 2 mornings a week to do what I need to do and I want to create structure to our week: mondays - library for story time, tuesday - meet up with friends, wednesday - go to the park, etc.
We are putting in our fence (I think...) this summer instead of going on a family vacation (here's our favorite spot) so I'm channeling all the beach vibes here.
+ Go to the lake
+ Light sparklers
+ Throw a neighborhood Fourth party
+ Go out to get ice cream
+ Go white water rafting
+ Try paddle boarding - this has been on my list for the past 3 years
+ Get a manicure with Matilda
+ Buy our summer sandals - sort of feeling these flashbacks to 7th grade, love them for kids too!
+ A weekend in Heflin
+ Grill out at least once a week. Holler!
+ Run in the sprinklers
+ Camping with s'mores of course (this is my kind of camping)
+ Night swimming
+ Watch the fireflies
+ Buy water buckets to play outside with
+ Get Matilda swimming!
+ Spin frozen margs
+ Have weekly date nights! We have never done this before and I think it is so important - even just 2 hours out with each other can be so good and such a great reset
+ Make homemade popsicles (love these molds!)

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

It's that time of the month where I share what Sam and I have been watching on Netflix (see previous month's here!) and today I am sharing something that was recommended by my Mama. Chef's Table is a Netflix original that documents the lives of 6 famous chefs. Each episode follows these men and women along and shares their story in and out of the kitchen.
So many amazing stories, gorgeous food coverage and all of the passion that goes into their restaurants. The heart and soul of each chef comes through with each episode and it is completely inspiring. I also adore the love stories laced throughout and the family that supports these geniuses. Enjoy!twitter/ facebook/ pinterest/ instagram/ bloglovin'

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

A couple of weekends ago my fabulous friend Anna of In Honor of Design invited me to tag along for a Mother's Day event that she was hosting at Anthropologie. Anna has a wonderful, customizable body butter recipe (see here!) and I brought some of my favorite oils and shared their benefits while the guests munched on amazing treats and created beautiful gifts for themselves and loved ones.
I brought lemon, lavender, peppermint, grapefruit and orange (Anna loves citrus :)) and helped the ladies create pairings or they could just use a single oil. Lemon, lavender and peppermint work together wonderfully as an "allergy trio." I have been using these oils all spring to support my respiratory system with incredible results. Grapefruit is fabulous for skin and specifically cellulite so I thought that was a fun one to bring, it pairs wonderfully with peppermint. Lavender alone is relaxing and soothing for the skin and can also be paired with a bright citrus. Orange works to stimulate creativity and boost your mood and smells really lovely with lavender. I LOVE being able to make my own body products. If you are interested in learning more about oils, you can click here or feel free to email me!
The entire morning was so lovely and Anna (along with the ladies at Anthro!) made every little detail gorgeous and special. So thankful to have friends that empower other women and make them feel great. Anna is so good at that. You will love her blog if you don't already read it.

Thank you again Anna and Anthropologie for having me! xoAll photography by Anna Liesemeyer

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